Collateral Dreams
by seawolf308
Summary: AU post "Stand" (No evil Artie or astrolabe backlash). Myka is experiencing vivid nightmares after the defeat of Sykes - she needs Helena to come home. First published ff - would really appreciate constructive feedback.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's note:_

_The first part of this story has been sitting on my drive since shortly after "Stand" aired. I thought about posting it as a standalone, but the part of me that wants all things to end up being fluffy for Myka and Helena wouldn't let me do that. So, I let it sit for quite a while until I could come back to it and work out a resolution. Now that I have a good idea of where it is going to go, I'll go ahead and start posting as I write it. As it is my first posted fic, I will apologize in advance for any errors I make or if it just doesn't seem worth your time to read. In any event, I do hope you like it. Please let me know if you do._

_Thank you,_

_~ Seawolf_

..._..._... ... ... ... ... ... ..

Myka awoke with a gasp, her lungs clawing for air as she sat up, wrenching the covers off of her sweat soaked body as she did so. Tears coursed down her face as the remnants of the same nightmare she had been plagued with for the last two weeks raged through her mind. She knew from her prior experiences that there was no use trying to go back to sleep. Hands trembling, she got up and padded to the shower, leaving a trail of bed clothes in her wake, focusing only on rinsing the sticky dampness from her skin and wishing the swirling water could somehow take images of the nightmare down the drain as well. As she stood under the cool spray, she once again replayed the dark visions in her thoughts. The conflagration of the Warehouse exploding… a landscape of pure destruction left in its wake… and Helena… Helena disappearing with a sad smile on her face and tears in her eyes. The first few nights, Myka tried to pass off the dream as a manifestation from almost losing the Warehouse to Sykes' artifact bomb and the emotional turmoil of being able to actually touch Helena again, only to have the Regents sweep her away for "safe keeping" as they put it, until they could determine what they were going to do with her. Unfortunately this nightmare kept coming back with a vengeance… and it wasn't like a regular dream that faded away in the first few moments of waking – no, the horrific images felt so real that she woke up crying in anguish and her heart pounding with the pain of losing Helena. Her Helena.

Myka really didn't know when she had started to think of the brilliant H. G. Wells as "her Helena", but somewhere along the way through all of their tumultuous experiences together, Myka's heart, for once, conquered her unfailing logic and she had fallen head over heels in love with the author. She wasn't sure if Helena felt the same – part of her sensed that it was indeed mutual, but Myka also knew that H.G. was exceptional at making others believe what she wanted them to. Or at least, she was able to make Myka believe what she wanted her to. Myka truly hoped that they were past the deception and now that Helena's mind was reunited with her body, perhaps there was a possibility that they could work on mending the fractures between them. But of course, that depended on what the Regents decided to do. Artie had said he gave his highest recommendation to the Regents that H.G. could be trusted again – which had astonished Myka beyond belief. Artie had always been against Helena being a part of the Warehouse, but something had changed his mind. Myka wasn't sure what that was, but she wasn't going to question it, either. If Artie's involvement brought Helena back, she would be forever in his debt. Her musings were interrupted by the sudden realization that she had goose bumps from the cold water that had at first felt good on her heated skin. Letting out a deep sigh, she turned off the taps and stepped out of the shower to dry off and head down to the kitchen.

After making a cup of hot cider, something that reminded her of warming up as a child on cold and snowy Colorado days, she went into the library and automatically picked up one of H.G.'s books. Re-reading the author's work always helped Myka feel closer to Helena and it seemed that feeling closer to the Brit - even if it was only through written word - was the only thing that eased the tortuous anguish after the nightmares. This morning though, she had selected "When the Sleeper Wakes", and as she started to read it, the parallels between the protagonist and Helena felt too strong to ease her distress. She put the book down and pulled her knees up to her chest as she gripped the mug of cider in her hands. Myka felt as if the apparition of the nightmare Helena was burned in her soul. Unbidden, the images rushed through her mind again. Helena was standing so close, but as hard as Myka tried, she couldn't reach her – she couldn't touch her. Myka was helpless and forced to watch Helena's dazzling life force extinguish as the Warehouse ignited. Tears once again tracked down her cheeks as the impact of the dreamed emotions coursed through her. A noise startled her out of her thoughts and she quickly wiped away the moisture as she turned her head to see Leena standing in the doorway. She knew that there was a difference between Pete's "vibes" and Leena's, well, whatever it was that Leena did, and apparently one of those differences was that the innkeeper could feel when one someone in the house was upset. Myka had quickly figured out that the pain she felt so intensely in the aftermath of the nightmare spilled over enough to wake Leena as well, but it seemed that the empathic woman only made early morning appearances downstairs during instances such as this one, when Myka wasn't able to settle her thoughts by reading. A look of deep concern was etched on her face as she crossed over to join Myka on the couch.

"The same one again?" she asked.

Myka only nodded, not wanting to replay their prior conversations regarding the details of her tormented sleep. Leena sighed and simply took the still full, but now cold mug of cider out of Myka's hand and departed to make her a fresh cup. When she returned, Myka looked up at the proffered mug as if only just realizing that Leena had taken it in the first place.

"Thank you. I'm sorry I woke you again."

"You don't need to apologize, Myka. I'm just worried about you. We all are. The others may not know about the dream, but they can tell you haven't been sleeping well. Have you thought anymore about talking to Artie or Pete about it?"

"I think this is something that I'm just going to have to work out on my own," she said with a heavy sigh. "I think if I knew where she was and what the Regents were doing with her, maybe I would feel better. Of course, I'd also feel a hell of a lot better if this damn nightmare would stop, too," she added dryly.

"Myka, I know you don't like to share your feelings about H.G. with anyone, but I still think you should talk to Artie. From what you've described to me, it sounds like an artifact is involved. Maybe you came in contact with one by accident when you were doing inventory or when you were chasing down Sykes?"

"I thought of that as well, but I used Claudia's new cross-referencing search engine and the only artifacts I could find that would cause extremely vivid reoccurring nightmares are the movie camera that Wes Craven used to film the first three 'Nightmare' movies – which is in that horror aisle that I won't even venture near – and Henry Fuseli's painting, The Nightmare. It would have been the most likely one, since it has connection to his lost love, but I hadn't been on the painting aisle since before we even knew who Sykes was. I did re-neutralize it last week just in case, though."

Leena managed not to smile when Myka referred to "lost love", but internally she was elated that the agent finally acknowledged, albeit inadvertently, that she did in fact love H.G. The two women had been through so much in their respective lifetimes and Leena felt they deserved to be happy together. She had previously been frightened of the deep anger that had permeated H.G.'s aura prior to the Yellowstone incident, but during the few hours she was around her before Kosan whisked her away, she saw nothing but a pervading calmness surrounding the woman – as if somehow she had made peace with herself and the world.

Leena stood and placed a gentle hand on Myka's shoulder.

"I'm going to get breakfast started. I found a new quiche recipe I've been wanting to try. Would you like to come in and keep me company in the kitchen while I make the dough for the crust?"

Myka smiled, knowing that the other woman was doing her best to keep Myka's thoughts occupied with anything other than her nightmare, but she felt that something more physical was in order.

"Thanks, but I think I'm going to take my foil out to the garden and work on lunges."

Leena nodded her head in response. "I'll call you about a half hour or so before breakfast so you'll have time to shower."

"What, you don't want me stinking up the breakfast table?" Myka said with a chuckle.

"No, Pete does that enough with his burps!" The innkeeper laughed in return.

As Myka ascended the stairs, Leena couldn't help but see the profound sadness that saturated the agent's aura, despite her echoing laughter. She knew she had to take steps to change what was happening. Myka may have asked her not to share the topic of their recent conversations, but that didn't mean that she couldn't talk to Mrs. Frederick about bringing H.G. back as soon as possible – for all the of the team's sake… because deep down, Leena knew that if Myka lost H.G. again, she probably wouldn't recover; and they already knew how a Warehouse 13 without a Myka was like. No one would be able to survive that loss again.


	2. Chapter 2

_*Author's note:_

_It was pointed out to me that I didn't insert the apparently obligatory disclaimer at the beginning of the story, so I'll stick it in here. I obviously do not own Warehouse 13, otherwise Joanne and Jaime would have gotten their wish and Myka and Helena would have been cannon. Please don't sue me, but if you're going to go through the effort to do so, you can have everything except my dogs and cats (and maybe my motorcycle). _

_As I said in the summary, this is my first posted fic, so I'm sure I'll probably make some mistakes in it – I don't have a Beta, so if you see any glaring mistakes, please point them out to me so I can fix them. Thanks! ~ Seawolf_

…_..._..._..._..._..._..._...

Jane Lattimer pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to stave off the headache that was quickly building with each passing moment of the "discussion" that she was currently having with Adwin Kosan inside her fellow Regent's office. As the Warehouse Guardian, she was hoping she wouldn't have had to argue her point so forcefully, but apparently after going against his wishes by using Johann Maelzel's Metronome to resurrect Agent Jinks, she had lost Kosan's support. However, when Pete had told her about his concern regarding Myka's welfare and then in the same breath asked her when H. G. was going to return, she had read between the lines and knew she had to do something - hence her current predicament and impending migraine. As Kosan continued his diatribe, she held up her hand and interrupted him.

"Enough! Adwin, I appreciate your concerns; however, Agent Wells is still a Warehouse Agent, a very valuable one, I might add, and her place is at the Warehouse – not incarcerated in a Regent's stronghold."

She was about to continue, but a smooth, commanding voice stopped both of the Regents.

"I agree with Jane. The Warehouse wants Agent Wells to return."

Regents weren't immune to Mrs. Frederick's sudden appearances, but Jane still had to refrain from smirking at Kosan when he jumped slightly at the sound of the Caretaker's voice behind them. He recovered quickly though and started to reiterate his argument with her.

"Mrs. Frederick, I must protest allowing Wells to return to the Warehouse. Despite her valuable knowledge, she has proven herself unreliable and a potential danger. She is no longer Agent material," Kosan said.

"While that may be your opinion Adwin, the Warehouse does not agree with you. Dr. Calder will be arriving this afternoon to conduct a fit for duty exam. Barring any unforeseen problems, I expect Agent Wells back at the Warehouse by the end of the week."

A knock on the door turned their attention to the entryway as one of the many bodyguards assigned to the complex opened the door to let them know that Dr. Calder had called to let them know that she would be arriving at 2:00 to meet with Agent Wells. Kosan turned back to Mrs. Frederick to once again voice his disagreement only to see that she was already gone.

"Well, I guess that settles it," Jane stated, trying not to allow any hint of victory lace her voice. "I'll meet with Dr. Calder after she is done and make the travel arrangements for Agent Wells once she is cleared."

Adwin Kosan let out a sigh of defeat after his door closed. The Warehouse had vetoed him, and even he understood that when the Warehouse was adamant about something, it was going to happen, or else, quite literally, all hell could break loose.

_..._..._..._..._

Helena returned to her room – under escort of course – after her workout in the compound's gym. She had completed a nice 30 minute run, then convinced one of the guards, a rather large man by the name of David, or "Tank", as he was called by his fellow guards, to spar with her. It turned out that he was surprisingly adequate in his performance. It took her a full five minutes to get him to yield. Afterwards, he shared with her a few of the mixed martial arts movements he had used and she showed him a couple of kenpo holds. All in all, it was a good workout. She immediately went to her ensuite to shower and change then put on a kettle for tea. For being confined, she was being treated extremely well. She had a nice room that was equivalent to a small flat and she had full access to the gym and library. She had also been given a laptop with internet access – something that Claudia had previously educated her on. Her first couple of days here had been taken up with debriefings regarding Sykes and what had happened both while in his custody as well as her viewpoint of what had happened in the Warehouse, but after that, they had left her to her own devices.

Helena finished making her tea in the small kitchen, then crossed over to a desk that sat next to a window. The light from the mid-morning sun was sufficient enough that she didn't need to turn on the desk lamp, so she simply sat down and pulled out a leather bound notebook from the drawer and picked up a pen. She paused for a moment, pen poised above paper, trying to sort out her thoughts. The process of "journaling", as Myka had called it, wasn't a new concept to her, although in her younger days, her diary more often than not became a place for her to sketch out ideas for inventions or sort out plot lines for her novels. After she was reinstated as an Agent in Warehouse 13, Myka had suggested that perhaps journaling would provide an outlet for her thoughts and feeling regarding living in the modern world. At the time, she had smiled and thanked her for the suggestion, but internally rejected the idea. Perhaps if she had listened to the younger woman, things would have turned out differently…. no, she had to stop that line of thinking before she went down the endless path of "what ifs" and regrets. Helena recognized now that she had been so despondent due to her inability to work through the grief of losing Christina that she had acted quite like an evil egocentric mad-woman. Journaling, no matter how helpful, wouldn't have been enough to turn her from her course of action. Myka may have been the ultimate reason Helena didn't go through with her destruction of the world, but it took many months of speaking with a psychiatrist – albeit while she was in holographic form – to help her heal. However, now that she was getting used to having a corporeal form again, she found that the simple act of being able to physically pick up a pen and put her thoughts to paper was perhaps even more cathartic than ever before.

Unfortunately, she was having to utilize the form of writing therapy to process an extremely disturbing reoccurring dream. Helena didn't dream, or even sleep for that matter, when she was a hologram, so at first she thought that perhaps her mind and body were going through an adjusting phase. She had experienced some insomnia the first few nights at the Regent compound, but after getting into a daily routine, her sleeping patterns were fairly normal – except for the dream. Unlike most of the remnants of Morpheus' world, Helena could recall the scene that repeatedly played out with startling clarity: Looking at Sykes' bomb and realizing that the destruction of the Warehouse was imminent, then realizing that she could save Myka and the rest of the team. She could even smell the scent of apples permeating the air while she said good-by, in the form of a, "thank you" to the woman she loved, but had never declared her feelings to.

While the analytical side of her continued to hypothesize "why" she was having the dream in the first place, her more immediate concern was processing the emotional toll it was having. Helena had learned though her therapy that she needed to analyze her emotions just as much, if not more, than she analyzed technical challenges. She was determined to never allow herself to go down such a destructive path as she had in the past, so she was adamant that she would work through these intense emotions. Closing her eyes, she easily brought forth the dream images and allowed herself to just feel. There was a certainly a feeling of joy of being accepted by the Warehouse once more, as well as relief knowing that Myka and the rest of the team were going to be safe from the impending destruction. But there was also an overwhelming sadness and anguish that pierced her heart, and she knew, without a doubt, it was because she was leaving Myka. The remembered dream pain was only akin to what she had felt when she lost Christina. Yes, it was different due to the fact that her love for Myka was not of the familial type, but it was still at the same intensity. Like a dagger being plunged into her heart. As the tip of the pen touched the paper, a sudden realization coursed through her - a realization that frightened her. Whether the Regents allowed her to remain in corporal form or not - she would not survive losing Myka.

_..._..._..._..._

_A/n: Yes, I was allowing Jane to channel her inner Janeway with the nose bridge pinch._ J


	3. Chapter 3

_*Author's note:_

_I apologize for the delay in posting. A couple of my fingers had a run in with an electric hedge trimmer that didn't turn out so well. Fortunately wasn't as bad as it could have been, but there were stitches involved. Now that the stitches are out and I can move my fingers well enough to type again, I shouldn't have any more delays. _

_I made a few changes to the first two chapters – not anything major enough to have to re-read them, but if you want to, knock yourself out. _

_Also, the artifact that comes into play in this chapter has a similar affect as one that appeared in the final season; however, it is not the same one._

_Thanks to everyone who is following and leaving reviews. I really appreciate the feedback._

_~ Seawolf_

__..._..._..._..._

Myka joined the rest of the Warehouse family at the breakfast table after a more relaxing – and warmer – shower than her previous one. Her workout with the foil had helped clear her head enough to be able to focus on the day, albeit with the ever present thoughts of Helena compartmentalized for now. As she sat down and served herself a slice of quiche, Artie walked in with folders in hand, followed closely by Trailer.

"Oooo," Claudia piped up, "what is it and where do we get to go?"

"You," Artie emphasized, "are going nowhere. Pete and Myka are going to Pennsylvania."

"Awww, but Papa Bear, it is mine and Jinxy's turn to go - although Pennsylvania doesn't sound like too much fun. When are the Hawaiian artifacts going to pop up again?"

"Yeah, shouldn't King Kahmamama have like a tiki artifact that causes women to go topless on beaches?"

"It is King Kamehameha, Pete, and if your raging hormones really want to see women sunbathing topless, just go to France," Steve said.

"But they don't shave their pits! That is like, ooo, gross!" he whined.

"Enough! Pete and Myka are going to Bryn Mawr College, outside of Philadelphia. A janitor at the college has suddenly started writing high level quantum physics and algebraic equations on unused blackboards. Given the fact that said janitor only has an eighth grade education level, there is probably an artifact involved."

"Oh! I know this one!" Pete exclaimed. "Good Will Hunting with Robin Williams and Matt Damon!"

"If Matt Damon is involved, I'll take your place Pete," Steve smirked.

"What? No, there will be no Matt Damons and no hunting in Goodwill stores - and the Robin Williams' section is complete," Artie said.

"We have a Robin Williams section? Why didn't I know this?"

"Of course we have a Robin Williams section," Claudia interjected, rolling her eyes, "it's on the comedic aisle, right next to Lucille Ball's shelf."

"Really?! Why haven't I done inventory on that section? I know I would have remembered that!"

"You haven't done inventory in that area because there is no way I would knowingly let you near Lucille Ball's endless spewing box of chocolates or the microphone that Robin Williams used during the taping of Aladdin," Artie huffed.

"Chocolates and the Genie in one area? I've GOT to find that aisle when we get back!"

"Come on Pete," Myka said, grabbing him by the ear and pulling him from the table. "Go pack so we can leave. You can dream about stuffing your mouth with chocolates while doing impersonations on the plane."

"Thank you, Myka. The rest of you – inventory. Now."

As the team scattered, Artie filled his breakfast plate and sighed. He knew Myka was upset about H.G.'s disappearance at the hands of the Regents, so he was hoping that sending her and Pete off on an assignment would help take her mind off of it. He just hoped that his lobbying for H.G.'s reinstatement would convince the Regents to allow her to return as an Agent in corporeal form. After witnessing what he did before using the Astrolabe, he knew without a doubt that H.G. had truly redeemed herself with the Warehouse. He also believed that the root cause of her redemption was her love for Myka. Keeping them apart would spell disaster – not only for the two women, but for the Warehouse. It had taken Mrs. Fredrick's and holographic H.G.'s intervention to bring Myka back to the Warehouse when she left before, but Artie was afraid that if H.G. didn't return as a physical entity, Myka wouldn't be the same. Trailer whined and put his head in Artie's lap.

"I know, Trailer. I don't want to lose her, either."

_..._..._..._..._..._..

_*Author's end note:_

_ Sorry for the short chapter – this was just a good stopping point. The next one will probably be rather lengthy since Pete and Myka will be dealing with the new artifact. _

_ I really wanted to include a Robin Williams artifact, because, yeah, the man was a genius, and I miss him. _

_I also have a rather good quiche recipe that I had in mind for Leena's breakfast. If you want a copy, just send me a pm and I'll send it to you._


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's Note:_

_My muse apparently decided to take a long vacation and did not invite me. I dragged her back (kicking and screaming, I might add) in order to be able to continue this. I'm not sure if I'm going to be successful in keeping her contained to my immediate vicinity, but I'm certainly going to try. _

_Disclaimer: I have never been to Bryn Mawr College, nor do I really know much about it other than what history I'm going to use as a tie in to this story. I mean no disrespect to the institution if I have stated anything about it incorrectly._

_As I stated before, I don't own WH13, otherwise Joanne and Jaime would have had a heck of a lot more fun together…_

_..._..._..._..._..._

Myka was perusing what little information was in the file regarding the incidents surrounding the unknown "math genius" artifact while Pete was busy drooling on the miniature airplane pillow he had clutched to his chest like a teddy bear. Her attention was drawn to him as he snorted in his sleep and mumbled something along the lines of, "three wishes… Disneyland… never ending chocolate…". Shaking her head at his endearing childishness, she went back to reading the file.

The individual affected by the artifact was a young woman by the name of Emily North. She was 25 and had worked as part of Bryn Mawr College's janitorial staff for six years. She had apparently dropped out of school at a young age when her mother had died of cancer in order to help her father raise her two younger siblings. She had obtained her GED with high marks, but hadn't shown any indication of being a prodigy in mathematics or any other subject for that matter. The report went on to say that one of the Deans within the Mathematics' Department, a man by the name of Alfred Johnson, was leaving the building late one night and heard a noise in an unused classroom that had been turned into a storage room. Upon investigating the noise, he found Emily frantically writing out a highly complex quantum physics formula on an old chalkboard. When he asked her what she was doing, she had stated that she had just felt "compelled" to write out the formula.

"Well," Myka thought, "it definitely sounds like an artifact." As she closed the file, the pilot's voice came over the speakers to announce that they would be landing in the next 20 minutes. She nudged Pete and he awoke with a start, wiping the drool from his face as he did so.

"Is it snack time? I hope they have more than peanuts."

"No, Pete, you slept through the snacks. We're landing soon."

"Awww, Mykes, why didn't you wake me up? You know this means we're going to have to stop for food on the way to the hotel."

"You would have insisted that we stop anyway, Pete."

"True. I won't deny that I need to feed these manly muscles on a regular basis," he said, flexing his biceps as much as the room in the cramped airplane seat would allow.

The only response that Pete got was an eye-roll and a back-handed slap to his stomach.

_..._..._..._..._..._..._...

After picking up the rental car and make a detour through a 24 hour drive through, the two Agents made it to the hotel and settled in. Pete came over to Myka's room so they could discuss their plan for the next day. After going over the basics, Pete decided to venture into other topics.

"So, Mykes..." he began tentatively, "how are you doing?"

"What do you mean, Pete? I'm fine."

"Aww, come on, Mykes, I know you have been having a rough time with not knowing what is going on with H.G."

"Pete…" Myka said in a warning tone.

"No, don't 'Pete" me. If you can't talk to your partner about this, who can you talk to?"

Myka released sigh, "Pete, please, I don't want to talk about it right now, okay? We need to focus on finding this artifact – not on my love life."

"Ah ha! So you admit it! You DO love her!" Pete exclaimed with glee.

"What!? No, I did no…." Myka stopped herself. "Damn." She put a hand to her forehead and slowly dragged it down her face. "Okay, fine. Yes, I love her, but that doesn't mean anything."

"Doesn't mean anything? What are you talking about? Of course it means something!" Pete protested. "It means that you can have your happily ever after! Your true love romance! Your fairytale…"

"PETE! Stop!" Myka yelled, interrupting her partner. "It doesn't mean any of those things. First of all, I don't even know how she feels about me. Second, who knows what the Regents are going to do with her. They may decide to split her personalities again, or heaven forbid, they may even bronze her again!" She said the last with a choked out sob as she turned away from him and stalked to the window to look out at the darkness.

"Myka," Pete said in a soft voice as he slowly made his way over to her. "I have seen the way she looks at you. H.G. Wells loves you – you can be sure of that. I don't know what the Regents are planning, but I don't think they will use the Janus coin or put her in bronze again." He put his hands on her shoulders in a very un-Pete-like gentle manner. "I talked with my mom last week. She is going to try to get her back to the Warehouse soon."

Myka whirled to face him, tear streaks providing evidence on her face of her heartache. "You talked to your mom about this?! Why would you do that?"

"Because, Myka, we all care about you and we want you to be happy. Don't get me wrong, it is going to take me awhile to completely trust H.G., but I trust you and I trust Artie. If both of you are saying that she should be an Agent again, then I'm good with that. But honestly, the main thing is that she makes you happy."

Pete found himself propelled backwards by an armful of Myka as she nearly tackled him with her hug. He wasn't good at comforting people, but he knew how to do it when he absolutely needed to. He continued to hold Myka until her now audible crying subsided.

_..._..._..._..._..._..._

Myka woke the next morning after being able to sleep for a solid seven hours – the most she had been able to get at one time in over a month. The nightmarish images of the Warehouse exploding had been present, but not nearly as intense as they usually were, and not vivid enough to wake her. She wondered briefly if her distance from the building itself was a factor, but quickly dismissed the idea before exploring it further. If it were true that being away from the Warehouse would cure her nightmares, that was something she did not want to admit to herself, because that would mean that if she wasn't able to beat this, then she would have to resign as an Agent….. and resigning as an Agent would cut her ties with Helena. No, Myka Bering was NOT going to admit that she might have to leave the Warehouse in order to retain her health and sanity. She shook her head of the thoughts and quickly hopped in the shower to get ready for the day.

_..._..._..._..._..._..._

Pete had insisted on taking full advantage of the hotel's complimentary breakfast, which resulted in them leaving to go to the college about an hour later than Myka would have liked. They hadn't spoken about her emotional breakdown the night before, which she was thankful for. Pete had ended up just holding her until she had exhausted herself out, then he made sure she had gotten to bed. A part of her was embarrassed that she had literally cried on her partner's shoulders, but another part of her felt a weight lifted off of her now that she knew he was supportive of her feelings toward Helena. The fact that he had contacted his mom to advocate for Helena's return meant the world to her. Now she could only hope that Jane would be able to influence the outcome of Helena's fate. After that, if – no WHEN – she reaffirmed to herself, Helena returned, she would face the daunting venture of discovering whether or not her feelings for the extraordinary woman were reciprocated.

"One step at a time, Myka… one step at a time," she muttered to herself.

_..._..._..._..._..._..._

Pete and Myka arrived at the College's main building, which housed the Mathematics' Department by mid-morning. Claudia had already made arrangements for them to meet with Dean Johnson that morning and they would speak with Emily North later in the afternoon when she arrived for work.

The Dean's assistant escorted them into his office, which looked as if it hadn't been updated in 30 years. Myka instinctively did a quick scan of the area for anything that looked out of place or old, just on the off chance that the artifact was here, but unfortunately, almost everything seemed old except for the computer and telephone that graced the Dean's desk.

Dean Johnson, for his part, looked about as ancient as the rest of the items surrounding him with his snow white hair, round glasses and clothing that looked like he had owned since the 1940s.

"Ahh… you two must be the Secret Service Agents my assistant told me about. I'm not sure what your agency's interest is in our local prodigy, but I'm happy to help with whatever information you need," the Dean said, with a genuine smile on his face. "Please, have a seat," he offered, indicating the two leather chairs in front of his desk.

"Thank you, Dean Johnson. I am Agent Bering and this is Agent Lattimer," Myka replied as she sat down, purposely ignoring the indirect question regarding the SSA's interest in the situation.

Pete spoke up, "We mainly want to talk to Ms. North, but we do have a few questions for you, if you don't mind. Can you can tell us whether or not you have seen anyone else writing equations in a similar manner?"

"Other than my PhD level students that have an emphasis in quantum physics, no, I have not," the other man replied.

"How well do you know Ms. North? Do you suspect that she might have had a talent for physics previously that she was hiding?" Pete continued.

The elderly man removed his wire-rimmed glasses to clean the considerable amount of smudges off of them as he answered, "I will admit that I don't know her extremely well, but she has worked in this building for a number of years and I usually see her and say hello in passing every day. I don't believe that this is a talent that she has been hiding, though. The equations that she produces are almost a work of art. Most of them are based on expansions of 'Noether's Theorem' as applied to quantum field theory. Such complex and critical thinking would be difficult to hide, even for a genius. After I discovered her writing out equations the first time, some of the other professors in the department and I sat down with her to see if we could determine her level of knowledge. We also compared her current knowledge with her previous GED results. It is truly as if she has become a mathematical genius overnight."

"That realization didn't disturb you in any way, sir?" Myka asked bluntly.

"As a matter of fact it did, Agent Bering," he replied. "The faculty was concerned that perhaps she had a head injury or tumor that was causing her to have a sudden heightened understanding of mathematics. The school paid to have both a MRI and CT scan done to make sure she was in good health. Both of those tests came back normal."

Pete then asked, "You said you discovered her writing out equations 'the first time'… have there been many of these instances?"

"I would say about once or twice a week for the past couple of months. She has said that she just has a sudden urge to start writing out the equations and once she has started, she feels compelled to keep going."

"Are there other areas of campus that Ms. North is assigned to work in, or just this building?" Myka asked.

"As far as I know, she only works in this building. Our facilities staff is extensive, but they usually are assigned to cover just one area. It allows them to be more familiar with the location they are working in as well as allowing for a build-up of rapport with the faculty and students."

Myka continued conversationally, "The staff obviously does a very good job. The campus is very beautiful and this building seems very well preserved for its age. Just how old is it?"

Dean Johnson straightened a bit with obvious pride in his university and answered, "This building is as old as the college. It was built in 1885 when it was founded by the Quakers. There is a lot of rich history here."

"Including you," Pete muttered under his breath, loud enough only for Myka to hear.

Myka subtly stepped on Pete's toes as she stood up. "Indeed, I'm sure the history of the campus is fascinating. Thank you very much for your time Dean Johnson. If we have any further questions for you, we'll be in touch."

Pete stood, covering up a grimace as he shook the other man's hand after Myka.

_..._..._..._..._..._

"Ouch, Mykes! Did you really have to crush my toes in there?" Pete whined as they walked out of the building.

Myka took a deep breath of fresh air, trying to dispel the feeling of mustiness in her lungs that the Dean's office had left her with. "Yes, Pete, I did," she said, simply.

Her partner grumbled a bit, but then quickly moved on to his next thought – food.

"So, you want to go find the campus cafeteria so we can grab lunch while we wait for Emily North to come in for work?"

"Pete, it is only 10:30. We just ate a couple of hours ago."

"But I'm hungry. Besides, we can probably ask some of the students if they know anything about Emily North. Old Santa Claus in there is probably a little out of touch with the current happenings around campus. Maybe some of the students will be able to give us the low down on Miss Em."

Myka sighed. He had a point. "Okay Pete, you win. Let's just check in with the Warehouse to give them an update first."

The partners moved to a quiet location off to the side of the building and opened up their Farnsworth. When the connection established, Claudia's smile filled the screen.

"Yo, what's up my fellow Agents-in-Arms? How is Pennsylvania?"

The two older agents briefly filled her in on their conversation with the Dean, then Myka asked, "Hey Claudia, would you look up 'Noether's Theorem'? It sounds familiar, but I just can't place where I've heard of it before."

"Sure thing, Myka. I'm down in the aisles right now, but I'll head back to the office and do some research."

"Thanks. If something comes from it, let us know, otherwise, we'll update you all tonight after we talk with Emily North."

_..._..._..._..._..._..._...

While Pete and Myka were eating lunch – well, Pete was eating and Myka was having coffee, Claudia started her research. As she read through the data, she started connecting dots and was getting a good idea of where to point Pete and Myka's search for the artifact. Then she read a Warehouse linked side note that made her stop cold.

"Holy crap-ola Sheriff Carter." She muttered. "That can't be good."

_..._..._..._..._..._..._...

_Author's end note: I also don't own Batman, Eureka, or Sheriff Carter….._


End file.
